Why Your Business Should Start Blogging
The humble blog has survived every ‘flavour of the month’ content marketing strategy that the internet has thrown at it since 1994.
YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, podcasts, webinars, TikTok all arrived on the scene with guns blazing.
And while they have all been fantastic content marketing tools, none of them have been able to knock the blog from the content marketing throne.
The simple blog – just text and images on a screen – is the most affordable, effective and efficient content creation strategy for small businesses.
If your instant reaction to this claim is – “OK, MILLENNIAL!” – you can go back to binge watching 15-second clips on TikTok.
But if you run a small business and you’re looking for a smart way to spend your limited marketing budget (actually, you can do this yourself for free) then you’re going to want to hear me out.
1. You own the real estate
I think the best thing about a blog is that you own it.
There’s a popular saying in marketing circles: “Don’t build your house on rented land.”
It means, don’t build your entire marketing machine on platforms you don’t control.
If those platforms decide to change the rules, or they get buried by a newer, shinier, better competitor, then your content marketing can be decimated overnight.
We’ve already seen this happen several times (remember Myspace?).
Every time Facebook makes significant changes to its algorithm, businesses die.
That’s because they built their house on rented land.
A blog sits on your website. You’re in control of it. It’s built on owned real estate.
So no matter what happens to Facebook, Instagram, or whatever other platform you use, your blog will always be there.
2. A blog feeds the social media beasts
I’m not saying you shouldn’t use other platforms. You definitely should.
Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube Twitter… they’re all great for growing and connecting with your audience.
But a blog can feed all of the social media beasts.
Take this blog post for example.
There’s nothing to stop me from turning this into several different social media posts on Facebook and LinkedIn.
I could repurpose this blog into a YouTube video or a podcast.
I could do a series of Instagram posts, one for each bullet point.
I can send my blog content out as an email newsletter.
And maybe, with a bit of extra work, I could develop it into a ‘Small Business Blog Writing’ webinar.
A blog is just the logical starting point because, again, you own the real estate.
By repurposing your blog content, you can strategically use all of the tools at your disposal.
3. A blog is fast and easy
I might be biased because I’m a content writer.
But we all know how to write and type, which means blog writing is accessible to everyone.
I’ve tried to record myself on video and I find it really hard. It takes way too long and I feel awkward sharing it.
To write a blog post, you just need to have a half-baked idea and 30 minutes to transfer it from your brain to the screen.
Hit publish and it’s out there in the world.
With a video, you might have to create a script, edit the video, create titles and overlays, and then upload it to YouTube.
Also, you don’t need any expensive equipment to publish a blog post. If you want to create a good-quality video, you might need a camera that’s better than your smartphone, a microphone, lighting, and editing software – along with the technical know-how to operate it all.
For a blog, you just need your computer.
The simplicity and affordability of blog writing is a big reason why it’s survived so long.
4. A blog provides a major SEO boost
If you write consistently and you include keywords strategically, blogging can give you a powerful SEO boost.
Google rewards consistent, high-quality content by bumping it up the search results.
Making it onto the first page of Google for your target keywords is no small feat, but it can make a huge difference for your business.
Blog writing allows you to anticipate the questions your ideal clients and customers are typing into Google and then create posts that answer those questions.
You can choose to be highly purposeful and methodical with your SEO strategy, but by simply writing about ideas and issues related to your business you’ll naturally use relevant keywords.
This is another benefit of having your core content hosted on your website, rather than another platform.
If you put all of your content straight onto YouTube, it might show up in Google search results, but it takes people to YouTube, not your site.
You can include a link to your website beneath your YouTube video, but there’s no guarantee that people will click it.
I think it’s essential to invest in building the content on your own website first, and then distributing it to other channels.
5. A blog positions you as an authority
A blog is a great way to position you and your business as a thought leader or authority in your market.
You may not believe it, but as a business owner you have unique expertise.
Even a child running a lemonade stand knows more about making and selling lemonade than the average person.
So what is your area of expertise? Property development, accounting, IT, photography, computers, stationery, plumbing, building, plants, clothing, food?
If you’re in business, you’re an expert. And if you’re an expert, you have information swirling around in your head that can be helpful to others. All of that information is potential blog content.
If you can produce informative content that adds value to your audience, before long you’ll be seen as trustworthy.
Trust is something that has to be earned in business and one of the ways to do that is by sharing your knowledge and expertise.
6. A blog lets you share your brand story
Your blog is a place where you have free rein to share your brand story.
I describe a brand story as your “message and mission rolled in to one”.
I personally think brand story is the #1 missing ingredient in most small business marketing.
But if you’re clear on your brand story – who you are, who you serve and how you serve them – then your blog is the perfect place to share that story.
You can go deeper into your purpose and values by sharing stories about what your business is doing.
You can tell your personal backstory and profile staff members.
You can share in-depth customer case studies.
And you can keep reinforcing your key marketing messages in different ways.
This can be extremely valuable when someone is considering doing business with you.
It’s not uncommon for people to search your business on Google and browse your website.
If they find content that resonates with them and they align with your brand story, they’re more inclined to do business with you.
And the people that align with your brand story are the people who you want to be working with.
7. A blog generates more leads and customers
Put all of these things together, and a blog becomes a powerful lead generation engine.
And, if we’re being honest, that’s what marketing is all about, right?
As a small business owner, you want to attract more customers and make more sales.
Any business who doesn’t want that is way too successful and I want to know their secrets.
By providing content for your various social media platforms, improving SEO, establishing authority and trust, sharing your brand story and generating more website visitors, you’re naturally going to attract more customers and make more sales.
Don’t get me wrong, content writing is a long-term investment and you won’t see results overnight.
But if you decide to invest your marketing budget (money and time) into a blog today – and you’re committed to do a good job of it – you can expect to see a healthy return on investment in the months and years to come.
Long live the small business blog
So while the simple blog has seen trends come and go over the years, it still stands as an important element of any small business marketing strategy today.
You can go chasing after all of the latest social media platforms if you want – they all have their place.
But I highly recommend starting with a blog, which you can use to feed all of the other platforms you choose to use.
If you want to get started on a blog for your business, The Content Lab can help.
We provide simple, affordable done-for-your content writing and blog writing packages for small businesses, ranging from two to six posts per month.
